Polyesters and its blends with various substances such as wool and silk find applications in various articles such as apparel, home furnishings, upholstery, containers, carpets and the like owing to their flexibility and a range of desirable properties.
Waste or used polyester is either burned or buried in landfills. These methods, although common in practice, are immensely detrimental to the environment. This is because the microorganisms present in the soil are unable to degrade the polyester which causes its accumulation in the soil. Such accumulated polyester mars the growth and development of the flora and fauna present in the sub-soil environment thereby disturbing the ecological balance.
Attempts have been made by the scientific community to tackle the afore-stated dilemma. The conventional methods, however, are associated with certain drawbacks such as use of expensive hydrolyzing agents and complex methods which render the process of recycling cumbersome. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a simple and effective process which facilitates easy separation of the polyester from the blend and which renders the polyester and the other hydrolysis products suitable for recycling or reuse.